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Dr. Peter, Veterinarian

Category: Dog

Satisfied Customers: 31585

Experience: 16 years of internal medicine, surgery, and preventive care.

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My dog an elderly JR terrier has had a problem for 6 months

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My dog an elderly JR terrier has had a problem for 6 months or so , but is getting worse, he makes a whooping cough noise as if he is about to vomit, but nothing comes up , this is quite often followed now by him going into a small 2 or 3 second fit, happening more now than before , between coughing fits he's fine, its usually bought on by him getting excited.

Welcome and thanks for asking your question. My name is***** am a licensed veterinarian. I am happy to answer your question today. First I need to ask you a few questions so that I can be well informed and give you the best advice.

1- Any pre existing medical conditions?2- How much does he weigh?3- Has he been seen by a veterinarian for this problem?4- Is he currently on any medications?

There may be a slight delay between your follow ups and my replies as I type out a thorough reply for you.

Richard, the cough that you are describing in Dixie can be related to several possible causes. It will be difficult for me to determine the exact underlying cause without a hands on examination and some testing. But, common causes are:1- An underlying heart disease, when the heart is not functioning properly it will become enlarge putting pressure in the thoracic trachea (tube connecting lungs to mouth) causing the patient to have a hacking cough. 2- Another possible cause is a Tracheal Collapse, this is when the rings around the trachea collapse decreasing the tracheal lumen; the dog will hack/cough to open up the lumen. To determine the exact underlying cause Dixie will need to be seen by family veterinarian and have chest xrays done as initial screening test. In the meantime you can start Dixie on Robitussin DM (cough) 1/2 teaspoon every 6-8 hours. You can buy Robitussin DM over the counter in any pharmacy (chemist).

My goal is to provide you with excellent service, I am happy to address follow-up questions. Please do not forget to rate my answer - I hope you found it to be excellent. If there’s more I can do, please use the reply tab and let me know. It’s my goal to provide you with excellent service." Thank you for your business and I hope to work with you again soon!

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